page3 (1/2)
“Miss Welles, your father would like you to join hi and less title at Welles Financial, but so far as Parker could tell, his job was to echo her father and occasionally slap him on the back in ad six or seven paces behind
“Parker Always lovely to see you”
And then there was Thing One
It was his customary line, usually delivered with a raised eyebrow and a s One was attractive—Harry would never hire an ugly person The whole cheekbones and perfect haircut and bored affect…okay, okay, he was hot But he knew it, which detracted significantly, and that line—Parker, always lovely to see you—blick Add to the fact that he was a Harry-in-the-, and his appeal went down to nil
Thing One didn’t work for Welles Financial; he was Harry’s personal attorney, having replaced the original Thing One a few years ago—why change a perfectly good nicknas like…well, Parker really didn’t know Occasionally she’d have to sign a paper he brought by Otherwise, he see and so far up her father’s butt she wondered how he could see daylight
“Thing One,” she al nod Miss Porter’s hadn’t been for nothing
“It’s James, since you can’t seem to remember I also answer to Mr Cahill”
“Thing One suits you so much more”
He gave her a sardonic look, then turned to her friend “Hello, Lucy,” he said He’d met her at a number of Nicky-related events—God forbid Harry co”
“Oh, thank you,” Lucy said, looking a little surprised that he knew Parker wasn’t Harry was hardly a doting grandfather, but he did keep tabs on Nicky’s life Or had his people keep tabs, as the case ht be
“After you, ladies,” he said He looked so hilad-handing whoever was around hi was…off
As they walked down the hall, Parker rubbed the tip of her ear It was itchy Stress eczeht on by dear old dad
Harry never did any real work in the study So far as Parker could tell, he used it to iues The rooh, filled with first-edition books, Tiffany s, a state-of-the-art humidor and a desk the size of a pool table Harry sat in his leather chair now, his thick gray hair perfectly cut, his suit Armani, his eyes cool Around his arm ined Apollo, her father’s pet ball python
Yeah You are your pet, right? Apollo was th—Parker didn’t spend a lot of tiave her a hearty case of the heebie-jeebies Nicky, though…in case living in a h, he loved to ie, it must be noted, was always locked Didn’t want to have a python slithering around the house, no indeed The gardener was charged with feeding hie
“It’s so Dr Evil,” Lucy whispered, giving Parker’s hand a squeeze She went to aseat and curled up there, nearby, but at a distance
“So, Harry,” Parker said, that nervousness flaring again She sat in one of the three leather chairs in front of the desk Things One and Two stood to one side, like soldiers at a funeral “How are things? Are you here for the weekend?”
“No And things have been better Is randson almost finished with school?”
“Yes Then he’s going to California with his dad and Lucy”
Harry glanced at Lucy “Glad to hear it”
“Glad to hear it,” echoed Thing Two, scratching his sto One to chime in, too, but he remained silent, his arms folded
Harry gazed at his pet, then kissed the snake’s head Parker tried not to flinch That snake would make some very attractive shoes Otherwise, he was her rival for Harry’s attention Well, hardly her rival Apollo was ahead by miles Her father looked at his minions “Gentlemen, have a seat”
Thing One and Thing Two obeyed, taking the seats on either side of her She glanced at Lucy, who gave her a nervous s in the air, and for the life of her, Parker felt a little bit as if she was about to be sentenced
She wasn’t far off
“Well, there’s no easy way to say this,” her father said, stroking his snake
“No easy way,” Thing Two murmured
Harry didn’t look up from the snake “We’re broke You have to move”
CHAPTER TWO
JAMES CAHILL, also known as Thing One, closed his eyes Granted, Parker Welles was not his favorite person, but even so Hearing it put so baldly…uncool Her friend gave a little squeak Otherwise, there was silence
He glanced at the princess She didn’t move for a second, then tucked her hair behind one ear, the tip of which was growing red Otherwise, she just sat there, her profile to hi, smooth, perfect Not that he was allowed to look at theo, and yes, she was being infors were incredible
“Broke?” she said, then cleared her throat
“That’s right,” Harry answered, petting the snake “You’ve heard of broke, I assume?”
Now, James knew that Apollo was some kind of security blanket for Harry; easier to break the news to his only child if he had so else to look at Their whole vibe was alicked uncoo to Welles fa It was the least he could do, given what Harry had done for hih
Parker took a deep breath, her brsts rising under her silky shirt Nice Focus, idiot The perils of being a straight guy in the roo him down
“What happened, Dad?” she asked, her voice entle than James had ever heard it And “Dad” He couldn’t say he’d ever heard her call hi for the guy
Harry shifted Apollo to his other arm “Just a bump in the road For now, there’s no more money”
“No more—”
“James, fill her in”
“James, why don’t you fill her in?” Vernon echoed, parrotlike
Right Time to earn that salary “Okay, well, it’s a little coan
She gave hirad”
So et that her blood ran crione to Boston University; once, he’d flirted with a Harvard girl and told her he went to BU “Where’s that?” she’d asked, because if you went to Harvard, other schools didn’t exist